Mark This Time
by Lynx Tiger
Summary: A sister who is now a potion mistress. A guide whose a friend. A hero whose slowly losing his memory of all he holds dear. It's going to take courage to fight the unseen, and find love along the way. S/A  Rated T to be safe.
1. Remembered Sister Forgotten Friend

Chapter One: Remembered Sister, Forgotten Friend

Aryll walked out of her small house on and stretched in the sun. Her blond hair was flowing free from her customary braid and she wore a floral blue dress. The seagulls were flying high in the sky and the smell of salt and water made her feel relaxed and at home. She looked at the ocean before her, feeling the warm sun on her skin. No one had came for her services and she considered that today was going to be a day of a break.

She didn't live on Outset Island anymore. When Link set off with the pirates after defeating the darkness that surrounded the seas, Aryll had taken up learning how to sail and went to Windmill Island to learn what she could. When she finished her schooling, she traveled to many other islands and taken up a permanent residence on Mercay Island. She used to visit her grandmother a lot and so did Link. Sometimes they collided and sometimes they would miss each other by a day or two. But since grandma had died, she only visited on occasion.

The seas were calm. The tide gently washed ashore and pulled themselves back only to be replaced again and again. The waves weren't big nor were they small. She could see some of the village boys out on the sea, surfing the waves that they could and waiting patiently for the ones that they didn't like. She walked over to a small outlook that the village and herself made.

After seeing a boat crash and only being able to save very little of the sailors, Aryll asked if anyone would be able to help her create it. She hated losing lives, even more so she had felt guilty and ashamed. She had been outside, but she hadn't seen anything, too busy gossiping. She wrote to Link about her mistake, and in haste he came to make sure she didn't get into a slump. She was very lucky indeed to have a caring brother.

She climbed the ladder and walked over to the edge. She took out her orange telescope with painted white seagulls that she had since she was a child. She grinned to herself, thinking about childish memories when a seagull landed by her. "And even as an adult you all still follow me around." She said fondly to the bird. It suddenly flew away.

"Kindred spirits, more than likely." She spun around, gripping onto the railing. Her hand was at her heart. A man stood before her wearing a tight blue suit and wearing a collar of the Sheikah symbol, the red Weeping Eye. His own red eye that could be seen since his other eye was covered by a curtain of blonde hair, was concerned. "Link is at your hut. He's injured."

"Agh! _Really_?" She got to the railing that was by the ladder and instead of climbing down she jumped and did a roll at the landing.

Her brother had been a very bad influence on her, Sheik noted. He followed after her with a slight laugh to himself and a with a snap of a deku nut.

* * *

><p>Link was lying on the couch. From the boy he had been, he certainly had turned into a man. He still wore the ridiculous green tunic, hat and boots. He still kept the trusty blue-hilt sword of the gods by his side, the legendary Master Sword. His hands were now gloved with brown fingerless gauntlets. He still wore the tights, but had a white long tight undershirt on as well.<p>

Injured, the tunic was torn and the white undershirt had been ripped open as well. Underneath the cloth, Aryll could see that the bandages had been wrapped and as she began to undo them she found they were tight but not suffocatingly so. She knew immediately that Sheik had done it. She wasn't surprised. Lately Sheik had been on many adventures with the pirates and when the gods felt frisky, on quests as well.

Aryll didn't really know the whole story about how Link met Sheik. What she did know was that Tetra managed to get lucky in finding a map that would lead to some treasure. The island had been hard to find and even more difficult to navigate. Sheik was the only native that they could find on the island, and while they were there the gods decided to play with the Hero again and Sheik guided him to wherever they needed to be and helped him find whatever he needed...through riddles and puzzles. If there was one thing Aryll hated in her life was puzzles. Life should be simple and fun. There shouldn't be anything like riddles to ruin it.

"I placed some red potion, but it doesn't seem to help." Sheik said. "It did seem to have kept the dark magic from doing anything more."

She noted that the wounds had a dark edge around them and that the skin looked infected. She clicked her tongue. "I'm glad you brought him to me. Did you try a blue potion? It works for both." She looked over her shoulder to see that Sheik was giving her a one-eyed look. "Never mind, you didn't have any on you at the time."

"Correct." Sheik answered. "And it seemed to be wiser to bring him to you since you studied underneath a magician while learning to heal."

"Link told you that. I know I didn't." Aryll looked up at the ceiling. "The skin looks infected. I'm going to have to clean it."

"Will you need assistance?" He asked.

"Maybe. I don't know. We'll see." Aryll replied with snap sentences. She walked over to her pantry. "Do you know what kind of dark magic it was? Or at least what creature it was from?"

"I'm unsure. I was on the other side of the temple when he was attacked." Sheik said. "All I know is that it shadow magic. Undead."

"Wonderful. Okay." Aryll said quickly as she pulled out different oils and looked through her pantry. "Undead, undead…" She muttered to herself. "Can't worry about making the potion right now, have to clean the wound…." She started digging deeper into her pantry and took out a few more bottles. She muttered to herself as she looked at the different types and nodded to affirm whatever she was thinking.

Sheik watched with interest as she walked back with a small clay bowl and sat down on a stool near the bed. She had an eye-dropper and little by little she placed oils and blended them together. Shen she took a spoon and poured a generous amount of a kind of oil in to it. She stirred, whispering something to herself. Whether it was a recipe or just a mantra to keep herself calm, Sheik wasn't sure. He was quite sure that it wasn't magic. Aryll never used it, even though she studied it.

"It's a healing blend of oils that can be gathered from different herbs." She said as she dipped a cloth into the newly blended oil and started rubbing it on the skin. Link's body suddenly tensed and she stopped, but when he didn't flail around like a fish out of water, she continued. "I'm not poisoning him."

He knew better to answer that. She was quickly done with the wounds and she wrapped them with fresh bandages. She took the other ones and tossed them in a bin. She always washed the cloth bandages and if it couldn't be washed because of blood then she burned them. Every time without fail. Sheik knew that healing ritual all to well. He seen her do it a thousand times.

She looked hassled and she set the clay bowl to the side. "Looks like I'm going to have to create a potion now. There's no way that the wounds are going to stay cleaned, not with shadow magic."

"Going into a panic isn't going to help much either." He noted.

Aryll gave him an exasperated look. "Sheik, I think I know that."

"You're getting upset. Take a breather and come back relaxed. It'll do you some good." Sheik advised.

She stepped back. She knew better than to work as if someone's life was on the line, it always wound up in disaster. "You're right." She placed both hands in front of her face, to keep them from shaking. Her mind was going in circles and she tried to imagine just sweeping them to the side, throwing them in a cage so that she could just focus.

"Allow me to be of some use." Sheik offered. "So that you won't corner yourself."

She closed her eyes. "Shadow magic can cause illusions, dream hallucinations, death, high fevers, and very cold chills. While I'm making the potion, I want you to keep an eye on him. Unwrap the bandages and check the wounds once in the while. If the wounds starts to look worse, try to clean it. If the cleaning doesn't work, contact me immediately. If he starts to act up-"

"Get you immediately." Sheik finished for her. "I understand."

"Now, I'm going to go…and focus…and make the the potion." She said slowly, as if she was trying to assure herself. She looked at the pantry stock in front of her. Sheik merely walked away from the wall and went over to one of the many bookshelves that was pushed up against her living room. He grabbed a book, walked to the stool, and turned the cover.

* * *

><p>It took Sheik only to the half of the book and the sun to start to set when Aryll came back. Her hands smelled of different herbs. She carried a mug with her and she looked as if she had wasted a few days of energy just doing something so simple. "When was the last time you slept?" Sheik asked as he removed himself from the stool and allowed her to sit down. He helped sit Link up right and Aryll coaxed the drink into her brother's mouth.<p>

"I don't know. The days just start to blur together after a while." She said as she placed the drink down. She licked her lips nervously and she looked at Sheik. "I'm always so frazzled when I have to work on my brother, I wouldn't doubt if I did sleep last night and feel dead today."

"He's your brother." Sheik shrugged indifferently as he took the closed book. "I wouldn't doubt if he panicked when you were kidnapped."

"I wouldn't doubt it. That's how he became the Hero of the Seas." Aryll agreed as she looked at her brother fondly. She turned to Sheik. "And why you call him Hero most of the time."

He merely shrugged. "I was to be his guide, it was appropriate since I didn't know his name."

"You still call him that despite knowing his name." She pointed out to him. "I think if someone was to walk by and hear the conversations you two have, they'd be trying to figure out what code you two were talking in. No one calls a friend Hero so casually."

Sheik didn't have a response to that, and even if he did he wouldn't have been able to say anything. At the end of the sentence, Link shifted and made a soft moan. Aryll's attention was broken from the conversation and was redirected at her brother. "Even with the brew, he still could be seeing things, dreaming things, and may act on them." She commented.

"He's stirring. I'll prepare for an attack. You should move to the side." Sheik warned.

"I honestly doubt that he's going to hurt me. Have you ever had to cure a drunken armed sailor before? I didn't think so." Aryll said without letting Sheik even try to answer the question. She turned to her brother and placed her hands on his cheeks. They felt warm and they looked flushed. "Link? Big brother?" She whispered as she brushed his bangs to the side and continued to hold his cheeks.

His purple eyes opened and he looked at her. At first, Aryll was afraid that he didn't recognize her at all. He gave her a smile. "Hey, sis." He greeted. "Long time no see."

"You saw me a few moons ago." Aryll giggled as she let her hands down. "I'm so glad that you're okay."

"Yeah…" Link said as his gaze looked away from his sister towards Sheik. Sheik expected the Hero to say something crazy, maybe a bit stupid. "Whose your friend, Aryll? You always had a taste for strange people."

Aryll's eyes widened and she moved away. Link noticed his sister's strange behavior and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Hero, do you not remember me?" Sheik's voice broke through. Aryll was quite sure that he had been just as stunned. There was no dark magic known that could make someone forget! Her fingers started to twitch and she left her stool and walked over to her bookshelf. It had to be something she placed in the potion.

"Hero?" Link echoed. "That's one hell of weird nickname to call me because I saved Aryll from the Forsaken Fortress."

"Brother, how far back do you remember?" Aryll asked as she continued to browse her bookshelves.

Link frowned thinking about it. Sheik held his breath and he was quite sure that Aryll was doing the same thing. If he remembered the Forsaken Fortress then that was good. It meant that he remembered his childhood and that Aryll was his younger sister, but if he couldn't remember his guide then Sheik was quite sure that he couldn't remember the ghost ship either. "I remember Tetra finding a map."

"What kind of map?" Sheik pressed.

"A treasure one..." Link closed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. His fists clenched, as if he was trying to hold on to something. "About an...island? There was an island that was legendary..." He grew frustrated and opened his eyes. "I can't remember."

"Calm down," Aryll reached out and gripped her brother's gloved hand. "I'm sure it's a temporary thing." She looked at Sheik, looking for some reassurance. He didn't say a word, nor meet her gaze, instead he walked outside. She patted her brother's hand and walked off to see what he was thinking. The Sheikah was watching the sun die on the horizon.

"It is a temporary thing." She said to him, confidently. "I'm sure of it. Don't be too upset, okay Sheik? He'll regain his memories..."

"I'm not upset about that, I doubt that it's temporary Aryll. He only lost a few weeks of his memory. I have a feeling that he'll lose much more." Sheik frowned. There was silence. "I think that the wounds was the distraction."

"What do you mean? That the attack was at Link's mind?" Aryll's eyes widened. "You have to be kidding me. I don't know any magic that strong."

"You wouldn't." He answered and he walked back inside the hut, leaving Aryll to stand outside. Her skin developed goosebumps and her body shuddered as if the heat just suddenly disappeared.


	2. A Hero's Dilemma A Guide's Concern

**Lynx: Thank you all whose reading the story ^^**

Chapter Two: A Hero's Dilemma, A Guide's Concern.

Sheik didn't get any sleep last night. After the Hero had woken up the first time and forgot everything, he wanted to stay up and observe. Aryll tried and tried again to get him to sleep, even went as far as trying to drug him, but Sheik had to admit her tries were good, but in vain. She forgot that he was a Sheikah, and didn't fall for tricks so easily.

He was immediately alert when he heard the Hero stirring. He watched as he got up from the couch that he didn't move away from when he was better and yawned. Sheik braced himself, wondering how much more the Hero may have forgotten. "Hey Sheik." Link greeted tiredly as he rubbed his eyes. "You're up early."

"I'm always up early." Sheik replied, only relieved to know that he didn't forget his name or who he was again. "You bother me about waking you up around the same time."

"It's dawn?" Link was shocked. "Wow, I never rise that early." Sheik had to chuckle. Link laughed lightly as well. "Did Aryll find out why I can't remember?"

"No." Sheik answered. "It's not something she'll be able to heal anyway, only time can do it's trick. However, I wonder what caused it myself. You were fighting a few re-deads, as well as a few poes. A lot of dead-hands, and floor masters as well. We weren't in a good place. I just wonder if someone had found a spell and cast it on you."

Link frowned, his eyes were focused on his knees. Sheik waited patiently, waiting to see if he would say anything. He wasn't one to hold on to false hopes, but he wished that Link would just suddenly regain memories. Shadow magic that affected the mind always had a lasting scar. He didn't want that magic to scar Link.

"I can't remember anything. Just a map and Tetra saying something that we should go." Link sighed. "I don't remember meeting you, or fighting against anything. I just remember that much. Where is Tetra anyway?"

"I don't know." Sheik shrugged. "More than likely getting herself into trouble."

Link took a breath and nodded. Tetra was the kind of girl that would get herself into trouble. The ghost ship, the need to always find treasure. If it wasn't treasure, it would because of something evil. Somehow, someway the Gods really liked using Tetra as bait, and Link as the hero. It really took a toll on him sometimes. At least his sister only needed saving once!

Sheik eyed him for awhile, letting the silence lengthen between them. "It's so weird." Link finally said after awhile. His fingers ran through his blonde bangs. "I feel as if everything that I knew, just slipped from under me and now I'm trying to figure it all out." He paused. "You tell me that we know each other, but as I'm trying to find any trace of you, you're not there."

"Don't force it Hero." Sheik advised. "It won't help you in the wrong run."

"Don't force what in the long run?" Aryll came down from the stairs, her hand rubbing her eyes. Her hair was down and flowing behind her, and her nightgown showed just how tan her skin really looked against the white cloth.

Link looked guilty. "Were we talking too loudly Aryll? You always were a light sleeper…"

"No, I normally get up this early…remember?" Aryll laughed while Sheik became ridged. It worried him that something so trivial would have been forgotten so quickly. He expected the short term memories to disappear, but not long term ones. "You didn't wake me up."

Link looked relieved. Aryll noticed that Sheik was staring at Link, as if he was waiting for something more to be said. "Sheik." She warned. "Not every memory's going to be erased. It's easy to forget that I wake up early, especially since we don't live together anymore."

The Hero had to bite his lip when Sheik looked away. It seemed like Aryll knew how to read him, which seemed to have surprised the Sheikah. Link had to hid that he was going to laugh at them. Deciding to bring the topic back, he looked at Sheik. "Do you think there's a way to get back my memories? Or at least stop them from decaying?"

"I wouldn't technically call it decaying, they're just disappearing." Sheik calmly pointed out. "And I'll have to go back on the island to find out."

Aryll's face frowned. "And what will Link do? Surely magic leaves traces. The minute he goes out there'll be a alert and the same thing will happen again."

"He'll stay here, with you." Sheik said simply.

"You honestly think that you can purify that temple and find a way to bring back his memories without the Master Sword?" Aryll folded her arms, looking at the Sheikah skeptically. She didn't know the race very well. She never heard of them until Link brought him to the island a long time ago. "We'll all have to go."

The Sheikah raised his eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but what will you be able to do? You can't fight."

"And if you two don't have a faery and a potion with you, you'll need someone that can heal." Aryll snapped. "And if his memories begin to fade, then it's best that I go. He can't very well forget his little sister!"

"You would only get in the way, and you don't even know how to fight." Sheik pointed out. "The villagers here will need the healer more than us, I would think."

"And you would think wrongly since I'm only called on as a last resort. Potions work magic you know." Aryll retorted.

Link closed his eyes as he listened to the two bicker. Although he loved his sister dearly, they both had a point. Aryll could be used as a last resort again, and again if a faery and a potion doesn't work. And what if the countercurse didn't require words or magic, but a mixture that only Aryll would know about? And Aryll also trained under a magician, he remembered that because Aryll used to practice in front of him, and used him when they visited each other.

But Sheik was also a skilled magician himself. He knew shadow magic, and he knew how to fight. He wouldn't bring them to a slowing pace. Also he wouldn't be so taxed and freaked at the monsters that would be there. Yet, Link had to remind himself that his sister had been kidnapped. She never talked about what happened during her time in the prison, but he was sure that if he did hear what had happened, he'd only wish he killed Ganondrof a little quicker and a little more painfully.

Both had strong points. "Okay, here's the deal." Link finally said, breaking into the argument effectively. "Aryll, you know magic. Whatever we need magic wise, you do. Any healing, you do as well if we don't have anything like a potion. We'll use the faeries as a last resort." He looked at Sheik. "You and I will provide the fight and we'll all work on the puzzles. Who knows? Three may get through the temple quicker than two."

"You're risking your sister into danger?" Sheik raised his eyebrow.

"She's a grown girl." Link said with a shrug. "And she's stubborn. She'll follow us on her own, she knows how to sail."

"You make me sound like I'd stalk you." Aryll teased her brother who just rolled his eyes playfully at her.

"So, we go back." Sheik stated calmly.

"We go back." Link affirmed grimly. Neither of them wanted to go through it again. Not know that they knew that there was a spell that could make one forget. Bringing his sister was a risk, but Link knew that if he lost anymore memories, he may just forget his own magic the Great Faeries had given him. He may just forget his own power.

When the day was starting to get a little older, Link decided that while he was here he might as well look and greet everyone and gather some supplies. Although Sheik had been getting odd looks from the villagers, there wasn't a word of compliant or judgment. When they were just about to reach the mistress of the shop's place, they all stopped when they heard a voice.

"So this is where the sea took ya!" A young tanned girl was walking up to them. Her blond hair was pulled up into a very high ponytail. She looked furious and relieved at the same time. "Sheik only had time to tell me that you got injured before taking our canoe and rowing away!"

Sheik had rolled his eyes up and around. Link merely shrugged. "It seems like every time I get washed up, I'm here." He looked at her and noticed that there were faint bruises and cuts on her. "Where did you go?"

"I managed to get out of one of the islands. No treasure yet. I heard that you were also on one of the quests and we were going to come and see if there were treasure there, but you and Sheik practically ran past us. I didn't even get an answer." Tetra said as she folded her arms. "So why exactly are you two here?"

"Apparently there's some strong shadow magic in the temple," Link said to the pirate. "It made me lose some of my memory."

"I have yet to determine how much and how long." Sheik broke in when Tetra's eyes firmly turned to him. "Aryll could only heal the major of the wounds, since they were distractions."

"Some distraction." Tetra said as she sighed. "Well, it can't be helped. Are you two going to go back?"

"We don't have a choice." Link said with a frown. "If there is strong shadow magic, we may be able to find how to stop even more of my memory from fading."

"It seems like your the damsel in distress this time, buster." Tetra winked at Link who immediately turned scarlet. He opened his mouth to protest, but the pirate queen waved it aside. "Is there a plan that you two have or are you going to rush in like normal?"

"That's unfortunate. I thought Link and I did a great job at planning while you run ahead and get yourself kidnapped, hurt and the like." Sheik pointed out with an eyebrow raised.

Tetra gave him a look. Link just had to wonder how many bad sides Sheik had managed to get on with the girls. It seemed like every time he opened his mouth, an enemy came out. He was equally surprised when Tetra chuckled. "Alright, you have me there. I do tend to rush in without thinking, but I normally do have a basics of a plan."

"Run, grab treasure, get out." Link recited. It was always the same plan, always the same goal, always the same disaster. Sheik didn't have to say anything against it, nor for it. All three of them knew that it wasn't the best made plans though it was simple and easy to refine when needed.

"Well, if you two are going to go back into that temple, I'll let you men do the dirty work." Tetra said simply. "Tell me when it's purified and if you find anything of interest. Surely there has to be something if that place is so well guarded."

"Is treasure the only thing on your mind?" Link teased her and Tetra punched his arm playfully. "Alright, fine, since we're going to do that anyway."

"Well, then I'm going to anchor off. Don't forget to send me a message." Link nodded and Tetra walked off.


End file.
